PennDOT updates given: I-84, Towpath

MILFORD - Fourth of July holiday eastbound travelers on Interstate 84 in Pike County are bound to a single lane for about eight miles from Exit 46 Milford to the New York State Line. PennDOT spokesman James May said that this change from single lane- double lane- single lane, to one continuous single lane is done with safety in mind with the anticipated heavy holiday traffic.

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By Peter BeckerManaging Editor

News Eagle - Hawley, PA

By Peter BeckerManaging Editor

Posted Jul. 2, 2014 at 5:01 PM

By Peter BeckerManaging Editor

Posted Jul. 2, 2014 at 5:01 PM

MILFORD - Fourth of July holiday eastbound travelers on Interstate 84 in Pike County are bound to a single lane for about eight miles from Exit 46 Milford to the New York State Line. PennDOT spokesman James May said that this change from single lane- double lane- single lane, to one continuous single lane is done with safety in mind with the anticipated heavy holiday traffic.

The update on the massive I-84 project as well as other state road projects in Pike County were discussed at a press conference June 30th, at the Pike County PennDOT offices in Milford.

The single lane change, in effect since Wednesday, July 2nd, continues into Sunday night, July 6th.

May explained that more crashes tend to occur when drivers attempt to change lanes. This is easiest when traffic is not so high. With the heavy holiday traffic, by going down to one lane, traffic could get backed up should a vehicle be disabled or run out of gas in a single lane. On the other hand, traffic gets backed up on an interstate with two open lanes when a crash occurs.

Some motorists are choosing an alternate route avoiding this section of I-84 by taking Exit 46 Milford, following Route 6 to Exit 53 Matamoras, just before the New York State Line.

New York State also has the Interstate 84 bridge down to one lane as a $40.8 million rehabilitation project continues. This work began last September.

Regarding traffic safety, reminders were given that State Police and local police are planning aggressive enforcement over the holiday period, watching for DUI and lack of use of seat belts.

The I-84 project underway in eastern Pike County is only just the beginning. May said that the I-84 re-construction is the largest PennDOT project in the four-county District #4 region and one of the largest statewide.

The entire stretch of Interstate 84 across Pike County - over 30 miles- literally needs to be ripped out and replaced.

As was reported before, a new mixture of concrete was used to build I-84 in the 1960's. Unfortunately, an unforeseen chemical reaction occurred with the rock on which the concrete was laid. Over the decades there has been a gradual deterioration from the bottom up. If nothing was done, May said, I-84 would turn into a dirt road.

The entire project will cost an estimated $300 million to $400 million and take at least 10 years. The first section, from Exit 46 Milford to the New York State line, is costing $67.4 million and will last through 2015 or early 2016.

Page 2 of 5 - There are five sections to do, which will be not be completed in consecutive order. May added that the entire project has not been funded yet, but said the project "has to be done."

Meanwhile, much maintenance will be ongoing on the rest of I-84. May acknowledged, "It's a rough ride now."

••• Towpath Road

Many questions from Lackawaxen Township have been raised over when the scenic Towpath Road along the river will be re-paved. May stated that a timetable of when the road will be paved has not been determined, but first troublesome drainage issues have to be fixed first.

Work on the drainage along Towpath Road is to start the week of July 7. Potholes will also be repaired. May noted that the road is very rough, but also has a very low traffic count, of 250 cars a day. He said that once drainage problems are addressed, PennDOT can have a better idea for how to make permanent repairs.

••• Bushkill Falls Road

Act 89 funding is also being used to replace culvert pipes under Bushkill Falls Road, SR 2003. The road was closed to through-traffic from June 30 to July 3 to replace a large pipe.

Ken Thiele, manager of Pike County PennDOT, said that the culvert pipe is particularly deep and always tends to carry water. He said that galvanized pipes that were put in years ago were not expected to rust, but they have been rusting on the bottom and needed replacement. About 27 drainage pipes had been replaced on SR 2003 in addition to the large culvert.

A specialized district-wide paving crew with members from each of the counties having seniority and the needed skills, will pave Bushkill Falls Road once other work is done. This will take two to three weeks. The road will be paved across both lanes at once, avoiding a seam down the middle, Thiele said. This allows for the job to be done quicker with less problems later due to a seam.

••• Other projects

The federal Transportation Bill which passed in October 2013 known as Act 89 has loosened funds that Pennsylvania Department of Transportation can use, mostly for construction projects. District #4 has a goal to attend to road and bridge projects which have been waiting for attention.

In Pike County this includes maintenance work on over 45 miles of I-84; 9.1 miles Route 402, south of Bushkill Falls Road; 5.7 miles of Shohola Road SR 434 and 5.4 miles of Route 507 between the Greene Township line and Shiny Mountain Road.

Work continues on replacement over the Route 739 bridge over Shohola Creek, south on I-84 in Blooming Grove Township. The $1.8 million project began in November 2012 and is expected to be done by December 2015.

Page 3 of 5 - Pothole repairs continue. May noted that while this past winter weather did not set a new record, it was the toughest on area roads in years, leading to potholes.

For more details of work underway or planned on state roads in both Pike and Wayne counties, see the list below.